New Year’s Day signals the start of the January transfer window, and clubs all over the world are looking to improve heading into 2023. Especially in the direct aftermath of the World Cup, there are sure to be some big moves.
Here is a recap of some of the biggest transfer deals completed in the first week of the window, including some business wrapped up at the end of 2022.
Cody Gakpo to Liverpool – Great Player, Weird Fit 
Gakpo was one of the young stars of the World Cup in Qatar, playing every minute for the Netherlands. He scored three goals and played a pivotal part in the Dutch team’s run to the quarterfinals.
Gakpo had been subject to Premier League interest before the tournament; if Jesse Marsch is to be believed, he nearly signed for Leeds in the summer, which, looking back, would have been quite the coup.
Now, Gakpo joins Liverpool, post-World Cup hype included. The reported fee of around $44 million could be a great deal for the Reds, with Transfermarkt listing the new signing’s market value at over $63 million.
There is no doubt that Gakpo is a tremendous talent, but I do have questions about where he fits into Liverpool’s plans. Even if the fee is substantially less than he’s worth, it’s a lot to pay for a player in a position of relative strength.
Gakpo joins an attack that already features the likes of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Roberto Firmino. With that said, Diaz and Jota are both currently out with significant injuries, Nunez has been underwhelming since joining in the summer, and Firmino’s future past this season is entirely up in the air.
This leaves a short-term hole for Gakpo to fill, but would Liverpool really spend that much money on a short-term stop-gap? I doubt it.
Let’s assume everything goes according to plan for the club: Jota and Diaz come back strong from their injuries, and Firmino extends his contract. Where does Gakpo fit then?
Liverpool is clearly not far off from the future after Salah and Firmino, and if Nunez continues to disappoint, a new front three of Diaz, Jota, and Gakpo would be pretty exciting. There is no doubt that Gakpo has all the talent needed to succeed at his new club, but it will be interesting to see how he fits long-term.
That was a lot to say without even mentioning the fiasco at Manchester United, where manager Erik Ten Hag badly wanted to sign Gakpo but didn’t get the financial support needed to get the deal done, even at the bargain price.
It seems more and more likely that United will be looking for cheap transfers and loans in January. That will definitely be another situation to watch in the wake of Gakpo’s Liverpool move.
Chelsea Going For Youth 
Chelsea spent over $60 million to sign three young players this week, bringing in center back Benoît Badiashile from Monaco, forward David Datro Fofana from Norwegian club Molde, and midfielder Andrey Santos from Vasco de Gama in Brazil.
The $40 million deal for Badiashile is particularly interesting. Chelsea already has a pretty strong stable of center backs that includes Thiago Silva, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Wesley Fofana. Fofana is currently out injured, but the other two defenders are healthy and in decent form.
It will be interesting to see how Graham Potter deploys Badiashile in the team. He’s only 21 but possesses a lot of the physical traits you like to see from Premier League defenders. His performances for Monaco will certainly encourage Chelsea fans as well. A 7.5-year contract is pretty bonkers, too (what in the world, Todd Boehly?).
The Fofana deal is probably one made with an eye on the future. He lit up the Norwegian league and definitely belongs in a more competitive division. However, he is so young and unproven that he likely won’t feature for Chelsea’s first team quite yet.
A loan move to the Championship or another league of similar quality could do him a world of good if that’s the direction Chelsea ultimately chooses to go. If he gets that loan, he will certainly be one to watch in 2023.
Santos is the latest arrival at Chelsea, and he might have the highest ceiling of the three. Still a teenager, he was a vital part of Vasco de Gama’s promotion season in 2022 and has quickly become one of Brazil’s rising stars.
It is a bit risky for a club like Chelsea to bring a player to Europe without even seeing him play in his native top division, but the Blues clearly see something in what he could become. Like Fofana, I would not be surprised to see him loaned out for the rest of the season to further aid in his development.
Wolves Finds a Lifeline 
Wolverhampton Wanderers found a much-needed addition to its attack, signing Matheus Cunha on loan from Atlético Madrid. If Wolves stays up, there is reportedly a $53.3 million obligation to buy.
Cunha has struggled at times to find form since moving to Spain, but if his time with Leipzig and Hertha Berlin is indicative, Wolves could have a transformative player on its hands.
It is pretty rare for a club fighting relegation to get this substantial of a boost, and it could prove the decider of Wolverhampton’s fate. If Cunha fires Wolves into a spot in next year’s Premier League, it will have no problem forking over the fee to keep him permanently.
Other Notable Done Deals
Brentford got a shrewd bit of business done by bringing in young attacker Kevin Schade from Freiburg. The deal is an initial loan, but all signs from the club indicate that Schade is joining the Bees in a permanent deal over the summer. I love this move for club and player; Schade is an exciting attacker with electrifying pace that can affect Premier League matches right away, and Brentford gets a player with loads of potential that they can develop.
Kasper Dolberg, once considered the future of Danish soccer, moved to yet another new club by sealing a loan move to Hoffenheim in Germany. I don’t have a whole lot to say about this one other than that it will be interesting to see if he can finally get his career back on track after a wayward few seasons.
Jesse Marsch signed one of his former Salzburg players as Leeds completed a move for defender Max Wöber. He’s fairly unknown in western Europe, but he did show some promise as an attack-minded defender under Marsch at Salzburg. With this in mind, I like the fit and understand why Leeds got the deal done.
Brighton completed a deal for Facundo Buonanotte, an exciting attacking midfielder from Argentina. His age and the deal structure suggests this is a signing with a focus on the future. A loan move could be on the cards, but Buonanotte is a player I’ve got my eyes on for the rest of the season.
Daley Blind joined Bayern Munich after being released by Ajax. That happened.
Cristiano Ronaldo got an entire blog from me earlier this week, so I will simply acknowledge his move to Saudi side Al-Nassr. I will say nothing more on that matter.
We’ll be keeping up on all the big transfer moves throughout the month of January, so stay posted for our weekly recaps.
Follow Nick Hedges on Twitter @nicktrimshedges or Instagram @nicktrimshedges